Cartridge-shell machine.



- S. RDUSSEAU. GABTRIDGE SHELL MACHINE. APPLICATION 11.31) 1020.27, 190v.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.1

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1n: NORRIS PETERS no, wunmcrou, n. c.

vs. ROUSSEAU. GARTRIDGE SHELL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1907.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

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S. RDUSSEAU. GA T DGE SHELL MACHINE. APP ATION FILEDDEO. 27, 1907.

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5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 S. ROUSSEAU.

GARTRIDGE SHELL MACHINE.

APPLIUATIQN FILED D150. 27, 1907. 91 9,247. Patented Apr. 20, 1909. 5 SHFETS-SHEET 4.

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' S. ROUSSEAU.

OARTRiDGE SHELL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.27, 1907.

919,247. Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

fittest w 1757622607 STANISLAS ROUSSEAU, OF BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

CAR TRIED GE-SHE LL IMACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed Becember 27, 1907. Serial No. 408,276.

To all whom it "may concern:

Be it known that I, S'IANISLAS ROUSSEAU, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Belleville, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can tridge-Shell itiachines, of which the-following is a l, clear, and exact description, refer ence being had o the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines used for producing or treating oartridge shells in the manufacture thereof and the invention has for its object to provide an eil'icient construction whereby the cartridge shells or blanks for production of the shells may be turned from a vertical position to a horizontal position to be operated upon or treated for the purpose of heading them or for any other desired purpose Figure I is a top or plan view of my cartridge shell machine. Fig. II is a side elevation of the machine. F III is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line III III, Fig. I. IV is a vertical cross section taken on line IVIV, Fig. I. Fig. V is an enlarged top or plan view of the portion of the machine containing the shell turning devices. Fig. V I is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on line VIVI, Fig. I. Fig. III is an enlarged view similar to Fig. V with portions of the shell turning mechanism illustrated in horizontal section. Fig. V III is vertical cross section taken on line VIII III, W II through the shell turning mechanism. l IX is a vertical cross section tak n on line IX IX, V I illustrating the manner in .vhich the cartridge shell blanks are fed to the shell turning mechanism. Fig. X an enlarged view of the carrier of the cartridge shell turning mechanism shown in vation and the sleeve in which the carrier operates shown in longitudinal section. Fig. III is a cross section taken on line XIXI K. Fig. XII

is a cross section tak n on line XIIXII,

r X with the carrier of the shell mechanism and its sleeve shown in end vation. .l ig. XIII is a longitudinal section taken throu h the sleeve surrounding the carrier of the shell turning mechani Fig. XIV is a top or plan view of the carri turning eleoi' the shell turnin mechanism with a "cor- 1 tion or said carrier shown in longitudinal sec- I tion. F1 XI is an elevation of the cam I 1 1 U I I I earned by the driving wheel of the maclnne and the lever that cooperates with said cam. Fig. XV I is a longitudinal section through a shell turning carrier of modified construction.

In cartridge shell machines of the charactor to which my invention relates the shell blanks are commonly delivered from a hopper. or other container to the machines through conveying tubes that are disposed vertically above the machines and after the blanks emerge from said conveying tube it is necessary to turn them from a vertical position to a horizontal position in order that they may be placed in proper position to be operated upon by the mechanism which moves horizontally.

Inasmuch as the feeding mechanism for the shell blanks forms no part of my present improvement I have not illustrated it but have shown only the conveying tube which is designated by the letter A in the drawings.

1 designates the main frame of my machine which is provided with parallel guides 2 that receive slide heads 3 and 4. 5 is the main or power shaft of the machine that is provided with a crank 6 that is united to the slide head 3 by a pitman 7 as seen in Figs. I and III. 8, see Figs. II and III, isa drive pulley fixed to the power shaft 5. a, see Figs. II-and III, is a suppleinentz'il shalt located at the end of the machine opposite that at which the power shaft 5 is located and which is united to the slide head 4 by a crank 10 and a pitman 11. The supplemental shaft is placed in cooperation with the power shaft 5 to provide for reciprocation oi' the slide heads 3 and e in the guides 2 by means oi cranks 12 and I3 fixed respectively to the power shaft 5 and supplemental shaft 9, a double crank 14 located intermediate of said cranks 12 and 13 and connecting rods 15 that are united at their ends to the several I cranks referred to. The slide head 3 is provided with means for carrying a hunter 16, see Figs. III and V, that is adapted to move with said slide head in a horizontal direction and the slide head 4 is provided with means for holdin a pusher rod 17 that is adapted to approach and recede from said bunter'during the movement of said slide head. 18 is a cross block that is located centrally of the machine frame and has mounted therein a die 19 adapted to receive the blanks from which cartridge shells are to be produced. The die 19 is located in a horizontal position and the cartridge shell blanks are adapted to be carried thereinto by the pusher rod' 17 in order that their closed ends may project be yond the end of the die that faces the bunter 16. Immediately after the shell blanks are carried into the positions stated the bunter 16 moves forward to a sufficient degree to fold the closed end of the shell blank, as illustrated as B Fig. III, or to, in other words, head said shell blank. The parts of my machine thus specifically described are known to be old and no invention per se is herein claimed for them, they being set forth for the purpose of illustrating cartridge shell producing mechanism of a kind that may be carried out after the cartridge shell blanks have been manipulated by the mech anism to which my invention relates for the purpose of altering their positions from the vertical ones in which they are fed to the machine to the horizontal ones in which they are operated upon to head them or treat them in any other desired manner.

The cross block 18 is provided with a cavity 20 extending transversely thereof and through which the punch 16 operates to carry the shell blanks into the die 19. At one side of this cavity and extending into the cross block is a pocket -1, see Fig. IV.

22 is a rest rod that is seated in the pocket 21 and is provided at its outer end with a recess 23 into which the shell blanks enter when they are moved to the rest rod in the manner to be hereinafter explained. In order that the rest rod may be properly positioned to suit shell blanks of different diameters, it is adjustably held in the pocket 21 by a set screw 24 and it is backed by a spring 25 that serves to move the rod outwardly into the cavity 20 when the set screw is loosened, thereby enabling a person adj usting the rod to readily gain a finger hold thereon to move it to the desired position. At the side of the cavity 20 in the cross block opposite to that in which the pocket 21 is located, is a ledge 26 on which the shell blanks are deposited after they have emerged from the conveying tube A.

The cross block 18 is chambered longitudinally adjacent to the ledge 26 to receive the shell blank turning members which will next be described.

27 is a rotatably adjustable barrel that is located in the chamber of the cross block. This barrel is provided with a spiral way or slot 28 extending longitudinally thereof, as seen in Figs. I, IV, V, X and XIII, the barrel being confined in the chamber of the cross block and normally held from rotation therein by a set nut 29 that is inserted into the end of the cross block and bears against the outer 532% of the barrel, as seen in Figs. IV and 30 is a shell blank carrier body that is operable in the barrel 27 and which has mounted therein a screw or pin 31 that is adapted to travel in the spiral slot 28 in said barrel. The screw or pin 31 is preferably surrounded by a wear ring 32. The carrier body 30 has reciprocatory motion imparted to it by means to be hereinafter described and when it is moved to and fro in the barrel by said means it is caused to partake of partial rotation in the barrel, due to the travel of the pin 31 in the slot 28. The barrel 27 in which the shell blank carrier body 30 operates is rotatably adjustably mounted in the cross block 18 as explained, in order that it may be turned to any desired degree from time to time when wear occurs, either in the walls of the spiral way or slot 28, or the pin 31 becomes worn to such degree as to affect true and accurate movement of the shell blank carrier body.. It is important that said body he always moved in a certain path for the proper delivery of the cartridge shells that are introduced into it and by the adjustable mounting of the barrel 27 I make it possible for the operator of the machine to so shift the barrel that the carrier body will operate in the proper path. The carrier body is cut away at its forward end to provide an inclined face 33 and a spiral face 34 which faces are furnished upon said body for a purpose to be hereinafter made clear. At the forward end of the carrier body is a shell blank receiving recess 35 and at the rear end of the carrier body is a head by which the carrier body is connected to the means by which it is operated.

37 is a spring grip arm that is attached to the carrier body 30 and is provided at its forward end with a prong 38 that projects over the recess 35 in the forward end of the carrier body to provide a pocket into which the shell blanks may enter. To permit for the adjustment of the grip arm 37 longitudinally of the carrier body 30 in order that shell blanks of varying diameters may be gripped between the prong of said arm and the recess in the forward end of the carrierbody and also to compensate for the wear of the surfaces against which the shells engage, I attach the grip arm 37 to the carrier body in an adjustable manner, as seen in F XIV. The grip arm, which is preferably seated in the groove in the carrier body, is provided with two slots 39 and 40, the latter of which is tapered. The slot 39 receives a binding screw 41 that is inserted into the carrier body 30.

42 is a taper head screw that is introduced through the slot 10 in the arm and seated in the carrier body. The head of this last named screw is designed to be initially incompletely entered into the slot and therefore when said screw 12 is further introduced into the carrier body, after loosening the binding screw 11, it acts to carry the grip arm rearwardly and draw the prong 38 of the arm closer to the forward end of the carrier body and lessen the size of the shell receiving pocket of the shell blank carrier. The binding screw is then tightened to hold the grip arm in the position to which it has been adjusted.

Having now described the carrier by which the shell blanks are turned, I will proceed to the description of the means by which said carrier is operated and the means by which the shell blanks are delivered to the carrier as they emerge from the conveying tube A.

43 is a carrier rod that is mounted in a bearing arm 1 located at the side of the frame 1 nearest to the shell blank carrier and which is provided its inner end with a pocket 44, see Figs. VII, X and X1, in which the head 36 at the rear end of the ca 'ier body 30 is loosely seated in a manner to connect the carrier body to the carrier rod and permit rotation of the carrier body relative to the carrier rod. 45 is a collar fixed to the carrier rod 43 exterior of the frame of the machine, preferably by means of a set screw 46 that is seated in a vertical position in the collar and bears against the carrier rod, seen in Fig. IV. The collar 45 is provided with a stem 47 that projects upwardly from the collar and has a threaded neck that receives a nut 48. 49 is a link that is loosely fitted to the stem of the collar 45 and is confined beneath the nut 48. 5G is an operating lever that is pivotally connected to the link 49 at 51 and pivotally secured to the main frame of the ma :hine by a pivot bolt 5s, see Figs. I to H1 inclusive, and Fig. V. This operating lever has an arm that extends into juxtaposition with the drive pulley 8 of the machine and has mounted therein an antifriction roller 53. The drive pulley 8 has associated with it a cam 54, against which the antifriction roller 53 is adapted to operate for the purpose of actuating the operating lever 50, in order that said lever will serve as a means for moving the link 49 in an out ward direction relative to the frame of the machine, and, by such movement 01' the link, cause the carrier rod 43 to which said link is connected to be moved in an outward direc tion.. 55 is a draw spring that extends transversely of the machine. The outer end of this spring is attached to an arm 56 carried by the link 49 and the inner end of the spring is attached to a post 56 that extends upwardly from the cross block 18. The draw spring 55 has the utility of imparting an in ward movement to the carrier rod 43 after said rod has been moved outwardly under the action of the operating lever 50, and the cam 54 has partalzen of a travel that will permit of the arm of the operating lever, that cooperates with said cam, moving outwardly onto the reduced portion of said cam as will be readily understood. 57 is a limitation screw that is mounted in the collar 45 and provided with a jam nut 58. This limitation screw extends beyond the inner face of the collar 45 and toward the outer face of the bearing arm 1 in which the carrier rod 43 is mounted and by proper adjustment of said screw, the extent to which the carrier rod and the shell carrier fitted thereto is moved inwardly, may be readily regulated in order that the shell blank carrier will be moved toward the rest rod 22 only to the desired degree when it is actuated by the draw spring 55. 59 designates a carrier bar that is mounted in a suitable guide-way extending at a ri 'ht angle to the shell carrier body 30 and situated in the cross block 18. Til'iS carrier bar is located beneath the conveying tube A, through which the cartridge shell blanks descend tothe machine, and it has the utility of moving the shell blanks into the pocket of the shell blank carrier that includes the recess in the forward end of the carrier body 30 and the pronged forward end of the grip arm 37. 60 is a throw lever that is pivoted at 61 to the cross block 18 and the inner end of which is bifurcated to receive a stud 63 projecting upwardly from the carrier bar 59. 64 is a draw spring that connects the throw lever 60 to the cross block 18 and serves as a means for imparting movement to said lever to move the carrier bar in an inward direction. At the inner side of the throw lever 60 is an. inclined cam face 65 is pusher finger that is located between the inner side of the throwlever and astraight face 18 of the cross block 18 alongside of said lever. The pusher finger 65 is connected to the operating lever 50 by a link 56 and said finger has a tapered inner end that is adapted to ride against the cam face 62 of the throw lever for the purpose of moving said lever laterally when the finger is moved irnvardly between the face 18 and the lever. As the pusher finger moves inwardly the throw lever is moved in a direction away from the shell carrier, and, as a consequence, it acts to inn part a backward movement to the car ier bar 59 in order that a shell blzn resting upon said carrier bar and emerging from the conveying tube A, as illustrated in Fig. TX, may fall into a position in front of the forward end of the carrier bar ready to be moved in a forward direction upon the ledge 26, to be carried into the pocket of the shell blank carrier adjacent thereto when the pusher finger recedes and the throw lever 60 is moved in an inward direction by the draw spring 64.

The operation of my machine in its practical use is as follows: The drive pulley 8 being set in motion carries the cam 54 therewith during its rotation and said cam cooperates with the operating lever 50 in a manner to cause said operating lever to be at one time moved by the cam to impart an outward movement to the carrier rod 43 and then permit operation of the draw spring 55 to move the ca'rier rod 43 in an inward direction. Each timethat th. carrier rod 43 is moved inwardly it acts to impart a forward movement to the shell blank carrier consisting of the carrier body and the grip arm 37 and said carrier ioves forwardly it has a rotative movement imparted to it, due to the operation of the pin or screw 31 of the carrier body in the spiral groove 28 of the barrel 2? surrounding said carrier body. As a consequence of this rotative movement, the shell blank carrier is turneti to alter its shell blank receiving pocket from the vertical position in which it is seen in TV and V to the horirental position in which it is seen in Fig VII; 4 c. the carrier is so rotated that the recess therein and the grip arm 37 are moved from vertical positions to horizontal positions. Each time that the operating lever is moved by the draw spring and the carrier rod 43 is moved forwardly, the pusher finger 65, connected to the operating lever, is moved inwardly so that it, by cooperating with the cam face 62 of the throw lever 60, causes said throw lever to be moved laterally and in an outward direction relative to the shell blank carrier. As the throw lever moves as stated, it to retract the pusher bar 59 with the result that a shell blank resting thereupon and emerging from the conveying tube A, as illustrated in Fig. IX, is permitted to fall in front of the forward end of said carrier bar. The ope 'ating lever then immediately noves in the opposite direction under the action of the cam 5-i and the pusher finger is retracted, with the result of allowing the throw lever 60 to be returned to its normal position by the draw spring 64, and as said lever par-takes of this movement it carries with it the carrier bar 59 which, at this time, acts to push the shell blank that is in front of it upon the ledge 26 into the pocket in the shell blank carrier, as seen in fig. Y. The shell blank carrier is at this time in its retracted position and immediately after the shell blank carrier, an inward movement of the carrier rod 43 is caused by the action of the draw spring 55 and the shell blank carrier is moved forwardly and rotated in the manner previously referred to to turn the shell blank situated therein from a vertical position to a horizontal position. As the shell blank carrier moves forw-' -rdly and rotates, it approaches the rest rod 22, that faces the forward end of the carrier, with the result of i using the shell blank that is held by the carrier to become seated between the forward end of the carrier and the pocket in the forward end of said rest red at the completion of the forward movement of the carrier. The shell blank is at tl is time in a horizontal position and located directly in line with the die 19, the pusher rod 17 and the hunter 16. The pusher rod 17 then advances, enters the shell blank and forces it into the die 19 to a sufficient extent to cause its closed end to protrude beyond the end of the die facing the hunter 16 and said hunter advances to the closed end of the blank and acts to fold or head said blank while it is present in the die. The various parts of the machine then return to their former positions and the operations described again take place in treating the shell. blanks that are fed to the machine. It should be noted that the body 30 of the shell blank carrier is provided with the inclined face 33 and the spiral face 34 for the purpose of permitting the shell blanks being delivered close to said carrier as they are deposited from the carrier bar 5.) onto the ledge 26. By making the carrier body with these faces 1 am enabled to locate the conveying tube A above the carrier body, as seen in Fig. IX, and the shell blanks are therefore dropped onto the legs 26 from said tube close to the blank receiving pocket of the shell blank carrier. As a consequence, only sufficient backward movement of the carrier bar 59 is necessary to permit the shell blanks to fall in iront of the forward end of said bar from the conveying tube and all liability of the blanks toppling over before they are delivered into the pocket of the shell blank carrier is avoided.

In Fig. XVI, I have shown a modification of my shell blank carrier that is adapted to be utilized in y machine in handling therein larger sized cartridge shells than those to which the hereinbefore described carrier is adaptable. This modified carrier is con structed as follows: 30 is the carrier body which is provided with a blank receiving pocket 35 at its forward end and contains a channel 30 a extending; longitudinally thereof. 37 is the grip arm having the prong 38' at itsforward end and provided at its rear end with a heel .37 that contains a longitudil'ial slot 37*. The heel of the grip arm is positioned in the channel of the carrier body and is movably held in the carrier body by a cross pin 30 mounted in the carrier body and extending through the slot in the hollow 37 30 is an adjustment screw seated in the rear end. of the channel in the carrier body and 30 is a forward adjustment screw seated in. the forward end of said channel. 60 is a spring in the channel in the carrier body located back of the forward adjustment screw and at the rear end of which is a follower block 30 The follower block just mentioncd against the forward end of the heel of the grip arm and the forward end of the rear adjustment screw 30 bears against I the rear end of said heel. lire parts that are seated in the channel of the carrier body serve as means for longitudinal adjustment of the grip arm 37 and the spring 30 has the additional function of serving as a means for yieldingly holding said grip arm in order that it may move laterally when a shell blank is introduced into the pocket at the forward end of the shell blank carrier comprising the recess 35 in the carrier body and the prong of the grip arm. To adjust the grip arm either forwardly or backwardly to properly position it to receive and grip shell blanks of different sizes it is only necessary to turn the a I I i l adjustment screws 30 and 30 in the carrier away from said carrier for the delivery of body so that the grip arm will be shifted in the desired direction. F or illustration, if the grip arm is to be shifted to render the carrier suitable for smaller shell blanks than those previously received by the carrier, both of the adjustment screws are shifted backwardly in the carrier body, whereas, if it is desired to adjust the grip arm to suit larger blanks, both of the adjustment screws are shifted forwardly in the carrier body.

I claim:

1. In a cartridge machine, a guideway having-an opening in the wall thereof, a carrier having a spirally inclined face, reciprocable in the guideway, and having a connection with the walls of said guideway, for causing the rotation of the carrier during its reciprocation and also having means at one end for receiving a shell, and means for depositing shells in the wall opening so that at least part of the shells shall lie within the guideway and adjacent to the inclined face, and means for moving the shells from the opening into the guideway.

2. In a cartridge machine, a shell blank carrier, a rotatably adjustable barrel in which said carrier is operable, and means for imparting forward movement to said carrier in said barrel; said carrier and barrel having engagement with each other whereby the carrier is rotated when it is moved forwardly in the barrel, substantially as set forth.

3. A shell blank carrier for cartridge machines, comprising a carrier body having a recess at one of its ends, and a grip arm adjustably secured to said body, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cartridge machine, a shell blank carrier, means for operating said carrier, a carrier bar movable laterally toward and shell blanks thereto, a spring controlled throw lever for operating said carrier bar in one direction to feed the shell blanks to the carrier, a pusher finger for retracting said throw lever by engagement therewith, and means for actuating said pusher linger, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cartridge machine, a shell blank carrier, means for imparting a forward movement to said carrier, means whereby said carrier is rotated during its forward movement, and a rest member opposing said carrier and adapted to receive the shell blanks carried by said carrier when the blank receiving end of the carrier is moved forwardly to said rest member, substantially as set forth.

6. In a cartridge machine, a shell blank carrier, means for imparting a forward movement to said carrier, means whereby said carrier is rotated during its forward movement, and a rest member opposing said carrier and adapted to receive the shell blanks carried by said carrier when the blank receiving end of the carrier is moved forwardly to said rest member said rest member being provided with a recess into which the shells may enter, substantially as set forth.

STANISLAS ROUSSEAU.

In presence of ANTHONY P. PREUss, LENA LUCKHARDT. 

